Boundaries and History in Africa: Issues in Conventional Boundaries and Ideological Frontiers

Chapter 19 Beyond Frontiers: African Diasporas in America and Development of Africa

407 Chapter 19 Beyond Frontiers: African Diasporas in America and Development of Africa By S Simon Ngenge Tata Abstract After the Second World War as African nationalists engaged in the struggle for independence, African-Americans (A-A) became interested in the decolonization struggle and development. It should be noted that A-A in the US constitute the highest number of people of Africa origin in a single country. Through organizations which they created, various strategies were developed to help Africa politically, socially and economically. They equally influenced the foreign policy of the US toward Africa in Congress and the Senate via Congressional Black Caucus (CBA). But to a large degree, their efforts have not yielded fruits because of the unpatriotic nature of African presidents and the evils of neo-colonialism. The absence of, Democracy, good governance, transparency, accountability and respect for human rights, plunged the nations of Africa into Coup d’Etats, secessionist movements, civil strives and internal arms conflicts shortly after independence. These vices invariably hindered the development efforts of A-A. There is, therefore, the need for a more concerted struggle with the A-A assistance. Fortunately, the Arab North Africa has set the ball rolling. Résumé Apres la Seconde Guerre Mondiale, les nationalistes prirent part à la lutte pour l’indépendance. Les Afro-américains s’intéressèrent à la décolonisation et au développement. Il devrait être note que le groupe 408 Afro-Américain aux Etats-Unis d’Amérique constitue un grand nombre de personnes originaires d’Afrique étables dans un seul pays. A travers les organisations créées, plusieurs stratégies furent développées dans le but d’aider l’Afrique politiquement, socialement et économiquement. Ils ont aussi influence la politique étrangère des Etats-Unis d’Amérique par le Congrès et le Senat travers le Comité Electoral Noir (Black Caucus). Mais, à un niveau, leurs efforts échouèrent du fait de l’absence de patriotisme des présidents Africains et du néo-colonialisme. L’absence de démocratie, de la bonne gouvernance, de la transparence et du non-respect des droits à l’homme a plongé les nations africaines dans les mouvements sécessionnistes, des guerres civiles et des conflits internes. Le combat amener maintenant est la seconde bataille pour te vraie libération. Cette invariabilité des vices a entrave les efforts de développement des AfroAm éricains. L’exemple est donne par les pays de l’Afrique du Nord qui viennent d’engager le combat. Introduction African-Americans constitute the largest group of African diasporas. When the people of the continent engaged in the decolonisation struggle after World War II, assistance was received from African-Americans. The discussion on African diasporas must necessarily begin with the story of how multiple African diasporas came about. The first wave of Africans into the United States of America (USA) and Latin America came about through slavery and slave trade. For over four hundred years, millions of Africans were moved out of the African continent to the Americas to work in plantations and mines. During this period, others were taken to Europe, Arab North Africa and to the Middle East.783 Thousands died in transit to these destinations. Those who survived this ordeal were penned like cattle in slave markets and sold by slave merchants to vins and H.S. Commager, America: The Story of a Free People, 3n1 Edition, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1970, Pp.123-140. 783Ibid, p.151. 409 plantation owners and to rich individuals who kept them for sheer pleasure.784 The end of the slave trade has not stopped the migration of Africans to other continents. For both political, economic, and cultural reasons, Africans are immigrating to the U.S. These new wave of immigrants, constitute what, for lack of a better term, we may call the New African diaspora. The purpose of this chapter is to trace the origin and role of African-American diaspora; both the new and the old to the development of the African continent. The paper will also examine the reasons why their efforts have not yielded enough fruits. Origin of African Multiple Diasporas The first wave of African Diaspora is made up of those who were taken to the Americas, Europe and the Middles East as Slaves by the Europeans. As we learn from history, slavery and slave marketing are age-old practices the world over and they seem...